1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and a method of cooling control thereof.
2. Related Art
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a part which generates a large amount of heat such as a fixer, and a cooling device (typically, a cooling fan) for cooling the same. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 3-81783 (for example, from the 9th line in a lower right column in p. 5 to the 14th line in an upper left column in p. 6) discloses control of a cooling fan in the image forming apparatus and, in particular, a control method intended to reduce a noise of the cooling fan especially during stand-by. According to this method in the related art, the cooling fan is operated at a constant velocity at a high number of revolutions during an image forming operation, is operated at a constant velocity at a low number of revolutions immediately after the termination of the image forming operation while the temperature is high, and is operated intermittently at a low number of revolutions when the temperature during waiting is not high.
In view of reduction of power consumption due to driving of the cooling fan, the control method of the cooling fan according to the related art is not yet satisfactory.